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In Memoriam: Fall 2012

Posted
October 29, 2012

Lester Breslow, M.D., M.P.H., Class of 1938, Los Angeles, Calif.,
died April 9 at age 97. Dr. Breslow,
who also received his master’s in
public health degree from the University
of Minnesota in 1941, was known
for his groundbreaking research in
chronic disease prevention.

He spent two years as district health
officer at the Minnesota Department
of Health before serving in the mid-
1940s as a preventive medicine officer
in the U.S. Army, earning a Bronze
Star. He then moved to California
to become chief of the Bureau of
Chronic Disease, and later, chief of
the Division of Preventive Medical
Services at the California State
Department of Public Health.

He moved on to the University of
California, Los Angeles, as a health
professor in the School of Medicine, eventually chairing the Department
of Preventive and Social Medicine.
He was named dean of UCLA’s Fielding
School of Public Health in 1972
and served in that role until 1980,
overseeing a period of growth in the
school and a rise in the school’s
prominence.

A recipient of numerous awards,
including the University of Minnesota
Medical Alumni Society’s Harold S.
Diehl Award for lifetime achievement,
Breslow served as director of President
Harry Truman’s Commission on
the Health Needs of the Nation, initiated
studies on the impact of smoking,
and advanced many initiatives to
improve health in California.

He is survived by his wife, Devra;
3 children; 3 grandchildren; and
4 great-grandchildren.

David R. Antonow, M.D., Class of
1977, Minneapolis, died September 9, 2011,
at age 60. Dr. Antonow worked at Health-
Partners Parkways Specialty Clinic in
Robbinsdale, Minn.

Fred G. Bedford, M.D., Class of 1956,
Sequim, Wash., died February 29 at age 89.
Dr. Bedford practiced general medicine and
anesthesiology. He was preceded in death
by his wife, Nancy Glezen, and is survived
by 3 children and 9 grandchildren.

Ellis S. Benson, M.D., Class of 1944,
Minneapolis, died April 15 at age 92. Dr. Benson
worked for the University of Minnesota
Medical School’s Department of Laboratory
Medicine and Pathology for more than 20
years, serving as professor and eventually
department head, and led the Academy of
Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists.
He is survived by his wife, Ann; 3 children;
and 4 grandchildren.

Florence J. Bouthilet, M.D., Class
of 1947, St. Paul, died May 23 at age 87.
Dr. Bouthilet practiced anesthesiology in
the Twin Cities area and established the first
one-day surgery center in Minneapolis at the
former Metropolitan Medical Center. She is
survived by her husband, Ken; 4 children;
and 9 grandchildren.

Kent W. Christoferson, M.D., Class
of 1971, Eugene, Ore., died October 5, 2011,
at age 84. Dr. Christoferson specialized in
ophthalmology and worked at Sacred Heart
General Hospital in Eugene for more than
30 years. He is survived by 5 children,
7 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren.

Harry S. Friedman, M.D., Class of
1939, Broomall, Pa., died April 5 at age 96.
Dr. Friedman practiced ophthalmology,
helped found and lead the former Mount
Sinai Hospital in Minneapolis, and taught
at the University of Minnesota. He was
preceded in death by wives Gertrude and
Harriett. He is survived by 3 children,
4 stepchildren, 4 grandchildren, and
4 step-grandchildren.

William Byrne Hanson, M.D., Class
of 1949, Minneapolis, died January 30 at age
90. Dr. Hanson practiced general medicine
and surgery in Minneapolis and Two Harbors,
Minn. He is survived by close friend Ann Bye;
former wife, Mildred Hanson, M.D.; 4 children;
and 3 grandchildren.

John A. Hartwig, M.D., Class of 1952,
Bloomington, Minn., died November 14,
2011, at age 86. Dr. Hartwig was an orthopaedic
surgeon who focused on cervical
spine injuries. He also was chief of staff at
Fairview Hospital in 1969. He is survived by
his wife, Mary; 5 children; 7 grandchildren;
and 1 great-grandchild.

Richard B. Hoffman, M.D., Class of
1961, Rolling Hills, Calif., died November 30,
2011, at age 74. Dr. Hoffman founded and
served as chief of the radiology department
at Torrance Memorial Hospital, where he
introduced a variety of imaging techniques.
He also served as president of the Torrance
Memorial Medical Center Foundation’s board.
He is survived by his wife, Carole; 2 children;
and 2 grandchildren.

Darwin K. Holian, M.D., Class of
1947, Santa Barbara, Calif., died April 27 at
age 89. Dr. Holian was a surgeon in Albert
Lea, Minn., and chief of staff at Goleta Valley
Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara. He also
was an international leader in the field of
bariatric surgery. He was preceded in death
by his wife, Eleanor. He is survived by 4 children,
9 grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren,
and 1 great-great-grandchild.

Donald F. Holm, M.D., Class of 1949,
Edina, Minn., died March 9 at age 94.
Dr. Holm practiced general medicine and
radiology. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis;
2 children; and 6 grandchildren.

Kent D. Johnson, M.D., Class of 1990,
Shoreview, Minn., died April 1 at age 52.
Dr. Johnson was a family practitioner in
Fridley, Minn. He is survived by his wife,
Mary, and 2 children.

John D. Kaster, M.D., Class of 1943,
Hillsborough, Calif., died January 12 at age
93. Dr. Kaster was a pediatrician. He is survived
by his wife, Jean; 2 children; 6 grandchildren;
and 9 great-grandchildren

Carol A. Larson, M.D., Class of 1965,
Marshfield, Wis., died March 28 at age 71.
Dr. Larson was a psychiatrist at the Marshfield
Clinic and at the Mississippi River
Human Services Center in Eau Claire, Wis.,
where she was also medical director. She
was preceded in death by her husband,
Spencer Lee.

Thomas A. Marr, M.D., Class of 1953,
Sun Lakes, Ariz., died February 21 at age 84.
Dr. Marr helped to establish a kidney/dialysis
center, artificial kidney center, and the practice
of peritoneal dialysis at Sacred Heart
Medical Center in Spokane, Wash. He was preceded
in death by his first wife, Ardis. He is
survived by his second wife, Sue; 6 children;
13 grandchildren; and 5 great-grandchildren.

Joseph G. McCormack, M.D., Class
of 1946, Gilroy, Calif., died June 10 at age 94.
Dr. McCormack specialized in surgery. He
was preceded in death by his wife, Lael,
and is survived by several children and
grandchildren.

J. Victor Monke, M.D., Class of 1948,
Los Angeles, Calif., died February 4 at age 97.
Dr. Monke practiced at the Cedars-Sinai
Medical Center in Los Angeles for more than
30 years. He was preceded in death by his
wife, Beulah, and 2 children. He is survived
by 1 grandchild.

George E. Montgomery, M.D., Class
of 1941, Ames, Iowa, died February 4 at age
94. Dr. Montgomery practiced medicine in
Iowa, managed the health care centers at two
retirement communities, and worked as a
medical missionary in South Africa. He was
preceded in death by his wife, Arline, and is
survived by 5 children, 8 grandchildren, and
4 great-grandchildren.

Clayton E. J. Nelson, M.D., Class of
1940, Albert Lea, Minn., died April 18 at age
96. Dr. Nelson practiced medicine in Albert
Lea for 35 years. He was preceded in death by
first wife, Agnes, and his second wife, Betty.
He is survived by 4 children and 1 grandchild.

William D. Nesset, M.D., Class of
1943, Gulf Shores, Ala., died April 30 at age
95. Dr. Nelson practiced in Minneapolis for 31
years. He is survived by his wife, Mary;
4 children; and 9 grandchildren.

Harley J. Racer, M.D., Class of 1951,
Bloomington, Minn., died March 21 at age 87.
Dr. Racer helped develop the family practice
residency program at Methodist Hospital in
St. Louis Park, Minn., and was its first director.
He also led a family practice program in Maine,
worked at Hennepin County Medical Center,
and taught at the University of Minnesota
Medical School. He is survived by his wife,
Lauretta; 4 children; and 6 grandchildren.

Darrel J. Rosen, M.D., Class of 1974,
East Grand Rapids, Mich., died May 5 at
age 63. Dr. Rosen worked as a radiologist in
Grand Rapids for more than 30 years. He was
preceded in death by his wife, Carrie, and is
survived by 1 child and 1 grandchild.

Bradley L. Schwartz, M.D., Class
of 1991, Sandpoint, Idaho, died February 7 at
age 46. Dr. Schwartz practiced family medicine
in Sandpoint for nearly 20 years. He is
survived by his wife, Patty, and 3 children.

Daniel Simon, M.D., Class of 1945,
Berkeley, Calif., died November 26, 2011,
at age 92. Dr. Simon practiced medicine in
Richmond, Calif., and conducted research
worldwide. He was preceded in death by his
wife, Alice, and is survived by 3 children, 4
grandchildren, and companion Maryjane Wets.

Stanley P. Stone, M.D., Class of 1941,
Golden Valley, Minn., died July 5 at age 96.
Dr. Stone was a family practitioner in the Twin
Cities area. He was preceded in death by his
wife, Barbara, and is survived by 3 children,
7 grandchildren, and 9 great-grandchildren.

James V. Testor, M.D., Class of 1952,
Winona, Minn., died December 26, 2011,
at age 86. Dr. Testor was the first full-time
radiologist to practice in Winona. He is
survived by his wife, Mary; 4 children; and
6 grandchildren.

Paul E. Thompson, M.D., Class of
1970, Olivia, Minn., died March 27 at age 69.
Dr. Thompson practiced medicine in Illinois
and Minnesota and worked as a missionary
in Bolivia. He was preceded in death by his
first wife, Lois, and 1 child. He is survived by
his second wife, Mary Jo, and 2 children.

Stanley B. Troup, M.D., Class of 1949,
Cincinnati, Ohio, died December 30, 2011, at
age 86. Dr. Troup was senior vice president at
the University of Cincinnati and director of its
medical center. He was preceded in death by
1 grandchild and is survived by his wife,
Paula; 2 children; and 4 grandchildren.

Donald I. Twito, M.D., Class of 1970,
Billings, Mont., died April 17 at age 67. Dr.
Twito — the first board-certified oncologist to
practice in Montana — helped to establish the
oncology department and cancer center at
the Billings Clinic. He is survived by 1 child, 2
grandchildren, and his former wife, Christine.

Jean J. Vivino, M.D., Class of 1944,
Walkersville, Md., died March 11 at age 93.
Dr. Vivino worked with a founder of what is
now Kaiser Permanente and at what is now
HSC Pediatric Center in Washington, D.C. She
was preceded in death by her husband, A. Earl
Vivino, M.D., and is survived by 8 children,
10 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren.